Judging by her words, she wanted to be more than just with him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
She loved him.
It was a damn good thing Shane had made him sit down.
“Can you believe it?” Shane asked. “When I saw her that night at the party after you left, she seemed really confused by my congratulations on her engagement. I thought maybe she was just annoyed that the news got out before they could make an official announcement, but now it looks like it was because she didn’t know what the hell I was talking about.”
Deacon almost didn’t believe what he was reading. He had been jerked around so many times where Cecelia was concerned that he was afraid to think it could really be true. He wanted it to be true, though. He’d made the mistake of letting himself fall in love with her again these past few weeks. He’d never intended on it, but after that afternoon in Provence, he couldn’t help himself. He was madly in love with Cecelia Morgan. Could she really, truly be in love with him, as well?
“What are you going to do?” Shane pressed.
“I have no earthly idea,” he answered. And that was the truth. He didn’t want to screw this up. If he and Cecelia got back together, that was it. It was for life. He was going to marry her, make it official and never let that sweet creature out of his sight again. Even if that meant living in Royal for the rest of his life. It was the sacrifice he was willing to make to have her as his wife.
“Well, are you just going to sit here? Why aren’t you rushing out the door to sweep her off her feet? She wants to marry you, Deacon. Stop hiding in this damn penthouse suite and do something about it.”
Deacon closed his laptop screen and turned to face Shane. “I want to do this right. I can’t half ass it on a whim. She deserves better than that. I don’t think the little jewelry store in town is going to have what I need. Care to join me for a trip to Florida to get the perfect engagement ring?”
Shane grinned. “Florida? Just for a ring? There’re some great places in Houston.”
Deacon shook his head. “There’s only one ring in the world for Cecelia, and it’s in Florida.”
“Okay,” Shane agreed. “Do we need to have my assistant book some first-class tickets?”
“First class?” Deacon smirked, then shook his head as he reached for his phone. “Nope. We’re taking a private jet.”
Twelve
Cecelia slipped the key card into the elevator panel, allowing her to go to the restricted top floor of The Bellamy. When her message went out into the universe and everyone but Deacon seemed to receive it, she decided it was time to take some drastic measures. Someone had known where he was. Her money had been on Shane, but she’d opted to approach his fiancé instead. It was a risk, considering how Brandee probably felt about her, but she was her only hope. Brandee would likely have had the information without that pesky sense of loyalty to a friend.
It turned out she was right. Brandee not only gave her Deacon’s location, but the access card to get her there. She had seen the posts online and, despite everything, was all too happy to help Cecelia reunite with Deacon.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. Cecelia stepped out onto a small, elegant landing. There were doors at each end of the hallway. One was labeled the Lone Star Suite and the other the Rio Grande Suite. Brandee said that Deacon was in the former, so she took a deep breath to steel her courage and turned left toward his room and, hopefully, her future.
Facing the massive oak door, she raised her hand to knock but was surprised when the door whipped open before she could make contact.
Deacon was standing there, looking just as startled to find Cecelia on his doorstep. He was wearing an immaculately tailored dark gray suit with a sapphire-blue shirt that reminded her of the color of the ocean in Cannes. It clung to every angle and line of his body, making him look impossibly tall and more handsome than she could even remember.
Their sudden face-to-face stole the words from Cecelia’s lips.
“Cecelia? What are you doing here?” he asked.
She bit anxiously at her lip. “Brandee told me where you were. I’m sorry, but I had to talk to you about something. It looks like you’re headed out the door, though, so I guess I’ll come back.”
“No!” Deacon shouted, catching her upper arm before she could turn away to leave. “No, I was going to find you.”
Cecelia felt a bit of the pressure crushing her rib cage lift. “You were?”
“Yes, please come in.” Deacon stepped back and held out his arm for her to follow him into the suite.
She made her way into the room and over to the seating area with the modern couches she’d designed and had manufactured. It felt a little weird to be sitting on them as a guest. “You’re a hard man to find,” she admitted.
Deacon sat down on the sofa beside her, angling his shoulders and hips to face her. “I didn’t want to be found. Especially by you.”
The words were like a kick to her gut, but she had to understand where he was coming from. He didn’t know the truth. “You know that Chip is a boastful liar, right? I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since we broke up, and I certainly hadn’t agreed to marry him before you two had your run-in at the party.”
Deacon nodded. “I know. Shane showed me your post yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” He’d seen it and done nothing. Why had he waited? She’d put her heart on the line, and he’d sat back and thought about it overnight. She’d been in misery, on pins and needles, waiting to hear from him. That was the only reason she’d come after him. If he wasn’t swayed by her declaration of love and desire to marry, he at least needed to know he was going to be a father.
“I had a lot to think about after I saw that.”
“Well, I came here today because I have more to say to you than can fit in one hundred and forty characters. I also need to say things that don’t need to be posted for the whole world to read. Not because I’m ashamed of them or you, but because some things are meant to be private, and between two people.”
She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. She had a lot to say, and she wanted to say it just right. “First, I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me?” Deacon looked surprised.
“Yes. You’ve taught me how to feel again. To love again. After we broke up, it hurt so badly to lose you that I shut down inside. I couldn’t bear the pain, and I didn’t want to fall in love with someone else and lose them, too. I decided I was done with love and I was going to focus on my career instead. I built baby furniture because a part of me thought it would be as close as I would ever get to having children. At least with a loving partner. I convinced myself that a loveless marriage that made good business sense was the right choice.
“I was wrong about everything. I didn’t know I was starving until you gave me a taste of what I’d been missing. Then I knew I was wrong to close off my heart, wrong to think Chip was the kind of person I needed in my life... But most of all, I was wrong to think that I could ever stop loving you, no matter how hard I tried to suppress it.”
She hesitated for a moment and turned to look at him so he would be able to sense and feel how much she meant the words she was about to say. “You are the only person I’ve ever known who loved me just the way I was. No restrictions, no requirements. So I wanted to thank you for that.”
Deacon stared at her silently for a moment, and then he reached out to take Cecelia’s hand in his own. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Cecelia. Even when I was angry or hurt, I still loved you. You’re the reason I haven’t left Royal yet. There was no reason to stay, but a part of me just couldn’t leave you behind, even if you’d chosen that greasy politician over me.”
“I would never do that. He doesn’t hold a candle to you. I don’t understand why my parents can’t see what kind of man he rea
lly is, but in the end it doesn’t matter. In France, I decided I was going to live my own life on my own terms, and that hasn’t changed. If my parents come around, they can be in my life, but if they don’t, I’m okay with that. I’m never choosing them over you again.”
Deacon squeezed her hand as she spoke. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I’ve got a few things I need to tell you, as well.”
“I wasn’t finished,” Cecelia said, but he raised his hand to shush her. She hadn’t gotten to the critical news yet.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking while I’ve been holed up in his hotel suite. Your message and your arrival here today made things easier, but I was determined to change things between us before that happened. I walked away that night when I was faced with Chip’s challenge, and I shouldn’t have. Suddenly, I was eighteen again and not good enough for you. I walked away that night all those years ago, and I walked away again, instead of fighting for your love the way I should have. I’m not making that mistake again because you are worth fighting for.
“When I ran into you at the door just now, I was coming to tell you how much I loved you. Even if Chip had convinced you to take him back, I was going to steal you away, and I knew I could because he could never give you what you really needed. I’m the only one who can love you the way you need to be loved. I want to give you that life you’ve dreamed of, the family you’ve always wanted. I am determined to give you everything your heart desires. Starting with this.”
Deacon reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. “I was on my way to find you and give you this. You said you wanted to be Mrs. Deacon Chase, and I didn’t want to make you wait a moment longer. I didn’t immediately come running to you because I wanted to have the right ring, the right words, the right suit... I wanted this moment to be perfect.”
Cecelia shook her head with tears glistening in her eyes. “It is perfect, Deacon. You could be in jeans with a grape ring pop and I would say yes because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Deacon smiled. “This is a little better than a grape ring pop.”
He opened the box, revealing the prettiest vintage ring she’d ever seen. It had a round diamond set in a thin rose-gold band. A circle of small diamonds set in rose gold surrounded the center stone, and intricate scrolls were cut into the setting and along the sides. Cecelia had never seen anything like it.
“I didn’t want to compete with Chip to get you the biggest, gaudiest diamond I could. Instead, I wanted to get you the most meaningful ring I could. This one belonged to my grandmother. Shane and I flew to Florida yesterday to get it from my parents.”
Deacon plucked the ring from its velvet bed and held it up to her. “Cecelia, this question has been a long time coming, but will you be my wife?”
Cecelia had been asked that question one time before, but this was completely different. There were butterflies in her stomach, her heart was racing and she couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful ring. When Chip proposed, she didn’t know what it should feel like. Accepting his proposal had been like signing the paperwork to buy a new car—nice and satisfying, but not exactly a moment to cherish for a lifetime. This blew everything out of the water.
“Yes!” she said, bubbling over with love and enthusiasm. “I’ve been waiting to be Mrs. Deacon Chase since I was seventeen years old.”
* * *
Deacon slipped the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. The minute he read the message from Cecelia online, he knew this was the ring for her. His grandmother had told him as a child that her ring was to be kept so he could give it to the love of his life one day. Her marriage had been full of love and laughter, and she wanted the same for him. Even in their hardest financial times, his parents refused to sell the ring. He would need it one day, they insisted.
And based on the light in her eyes and the smile on her face, she liked it. The anxious muscles in his neck and shoulders started to relax now that she’d said yes. He snaked his arms around Cecelia’s waist and tugged her to him. Their lips met, and suddenly it felt as though all was right with the world. Cecelia was going to be his wife. Nothing else mattered.
When their lips finally parted, Deacon studied Cecelia’s face for a moment. “You’ve been waiting a while to be married to me. How much longer do you want to wait to make it official? We can be on a jet to Las Vegas in an hour.”
Her nose wrinkled as she considered his offer. The idea of her being his wife before the sun went down was intriguing. Their relationship had come apart so many times, he was keen to make it legal once and for all before she could slip through his fingers again.
“No,” she said at last. “I want to be your wife more than anything, but I don’t want to elope. I want this whole town to put on their best cowboy boots, go down to the church and witness you and me making vows to love one another until the end of time. I want my parents to see it. The Ashfords to see it. I even hope Maverick will be sitting in those pews, so he’ll know that he didn’t win this time, not with me.”
Deacon couldn’t have been more proud of his fiancée than he was in that moment. Even if he had come to terms with this town and what people thought of him, it made him happy to see that she was proud to be his wife. “They’d better get used to having me around anyway.”
Cecelia perked up beside him. “Does that mean you’re willing to move here?”
He hadn’t given it a lot of thought, but yes, if that was what she wanted. “I’d live on the moon if that’s where you were. I’ll have to travel quite a bit to my various hotels, but if you want Royal to be home, that’s fine with me.”
“Can we spend the summers in France?”
Deacon grinned. “You bet. I can’t say no to you. If you want to live here, we’ll live here. If you want a big church wedding with four hundred guests, let’s do it. I happen to know the guy who owns the big new hotel in town, if you want to have a reception there. Anything you want, you’ll have it. The white dress, the church, the flowers, the whole thing. Go buck wild, baby.”
“I won’t go too crazy,” she said, although he could already see the wheels turning in her head with wedding plans. “I still want to marry you as soon as possible. Maybe not tonight, but soon.”
That was fine by him. All he wanted was to be married. Cake, flowers and all the other trappings of the ceremony were unnecessary distractions to him, but he understood their importance to her. “Okay. We’ll get the engagement announcement in the Sunday paper. Or shall we go post the good news online before Maverick can beat us to the punch?” Deacon asked in a joking tone.
Cecelia shook her head. “Not yet. I want to keep this just between us for a day or two. And besides that, Maverick doesn’t know everything. I’ve got another little secret of my own.”
Deacon’s brow raised in curiosity. What other big news could she possibly have to share? “What’s that?”
She untangled her fingers from his and placed his hand across her stomach. “I’m having Deacon Chase’s baby.”
Deacon didn’t think that he could be stunned speechless, but she’d just done it. His baby? She was pregnant with his baby? He looked down at his hand and the still-flat belly beneath it. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes. You’re happy, aren’t you? Please say you’re happy.”
He pinned her with his gaze so there were no doubts in her mind about how he felt. “I’m thrilled beyond belief. I’m just not sure how it happened. We were careful, weren’t we? How far along are you?”
“Four weeks. I think it happened that first night we were together, when I threw myself at you.”
Deacon arched an eyebrow. “The day you sneaked out on me?”
“Yes,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. “I guess I would’ve been back no matter what.”
Deacon couldn’t even imagine how he w
ould’ve taken the news if she had shown up after her disappearing act and announced she was having his baby. He was nearly blown off his feet as it was. “How long have you known?” he asked.
“I started feeling poorly on the flight back from Cannes. I thought I was just airsick, but when it persisted a few days, I realized there might be more to it. I bought a pregnancy test the night of The Bellamy’s grand opening. That’s why I was late to the party. When I did arrive, I was looking all over for you to tell you the news, but you’d already left after arguing with Chip. When I realized what had happened, I was heartbroken, but I couldn’t find you to tell you the truth.”
Deacon squeezed his eyes shut to keep from getting angry. Not at her, but with himself. He’d ruined that moment they would’ve shared together because he thought so little of himself that he let Chip scare him off. There she’d been, searching the crowd to tell him they were having a baby, and he was licking his wounds in the penthouse.
“I am so sorry,” he said. “I let Chip ruin that night for us. We should’ve spent this week together picking out baby names and planning our future together.”
“I don’t care about that,” Cecelia insisted. “It’s just a few days in the scheme of things, and it gave us both some time to figure out what we really wanted, baby or no baby. What matters is that you and I love each other, we’re getting married and we’re having a baby. I’ve always wanted a family of my own, and now I’m going to have it. With you.”
Deacon pulled Cecelia close again, this time tugging her all the way into his lap. He cradled her in his arms, capturing her lips in the kind of kiss he’d fantasized about since they got back to Texas. She melted into him, reminding him just how much he’d missed her touch these last few days.
“If you’re having my baby, maybe we should reconsider the Vegas option and get married tonight.”
Cecelia shook her head. “This isn’t a shotgun wedding, Deacon, and I don’t want anyone to think so. Besides, I think a baby is the perfect wedding gift, don’t you?”
Expecting the Billionaire's Baby Page 14
